Adhama arrived Tuesday morning after road-tripping from the Los Angeles Zoo in a custom travel crate big enough to fit his 3,722-pound frame. Two drivers took turns to make the 23-hour journey, stopping to feed and spray water on the river horse, the zoo said.

Once at the zoo, 10-year-old Adhama lumbered out of his crate and into the sand-filled outdoor yard in the Simmons Hippo Outpost where he was met with fresh romaine lettuce and other treats. Later, he inspected the barn and slipped into one of the pools, the zoo said.

The drivers then headed to the Albuquerque BioPark where they loaded up 6-year-old Boipelo and took off once again for Dallas.

Boipelo, a 6-year-old female hippo, grabs onto a barrel at the ABQ BioPark.

"For now, they're living in separate halves of the new barn, but because of its open design, they've already 'met' each other through the fences and are getting along well," Edell said.

The two hippos were paired through a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan. When Boipelo arrived, Adhama was "instantly interested," and began sniffing the air, the zoo said.

This is the first time in 16 years that the Dallas Zoo has had a hippo on its grounds. The zoo decided not to add any new hippos after 53-year-old Papa died in 2001 until a new habitat could be built.

The zoo broke ground on the 2.1-acre habitat in February 2016. The outpost will have a 120,000-gallon water hole and an underwater viewing area. Visitors will also be able to see the hippos from the zoo's monorail.